Ice
by Trian
Summary: Hiei awakes in an unfamiliar, ice covered land with no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. ...And it looks like he's not the only one....
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Yuu Yuu Hakusho.  Don't sue me.

I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this random bit of writing, although I have more of an idea than I did 

twenty minutes ago, but here it is.

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_Prologue:_

_So tired.___

_Cold.___

…

…_Cold?  Shouldn't be…._

_I should be waking up, I think… I think normally I would be awake now.  Something's wrong._

_Why am I still asleep?  …I'm not asleep.  Not awake, either.  Between somewhere.  I don't know._

_…I should wake up.  I should…  I think something's wrong.  Too cold._

_…Just a few more minutes, I want to sleep.  Tired…_

_So cold….___

_Just a few more minutes, I'll wake up, really. _

_Too tired right now.___

_Too cold….___

…

            The sun rose over the mountaintops to shine on a vast grey country buried in snow and ice.  It shone pale, thin white 

across barren and desolate plains and hills, frozen black rivers and deep icy forests, bringing them weak illumination

but little warmth.  Once in a great while it reached some tiny, isolated town, a few hopeless, run-down huts huddled

together against the cold, but in those places nothing stirred at its touch; none came outside to meet it or even went

to a window to feel its rays against their face.  Doors and windows were all barred and shuttered as tightly as possible 

against the icy air, and if this meant that dawn's light was also shut out, well, such was life.  It wasn't worth freezing for.

            The light stirred _something_, though.

            In the middle of a cold dark wood, a few of its weak rays managed to filter as far as the deep forest floor.  There they 

encountered a small figure clothed all in black, curled up asleep at the foot of a tree.  He was shivering in his sleep 

and had a worn cloak pulled tightly about him, for what little protection it gave.

            And at the light's touch, the figure began to awake.

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A/N: Well, there you have it.  A Prologue.  Yes, it's very very short and nothing happened; I'm aware of this.  

Prologues are _allowed _to be short and vague.  Length, actual plot, and (probably) angst will come later.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:  I don't own Yuu Yuu Hakusho.  If I did, then… well… I would.  But I don't.

So I, er, don't.  There you have it.  *shrugs*

Arigatou to Saelbu and Shadow Fox777 for reviewing!  Yay – my first reviews

ever.  ^_^

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_                                                     Chapter 1:_

            He woke slowly, still freezing and tired, reluctant to enter full consciousness.  

Some small, nagging part of his mind insisted that this was wrong, that he ought to 

snap easily awake without all this foolish lagging, but he wasn't awake enough to 

pay it much attention.

            Eventually his eyes opened.

            Snow.

            That about summed it up.  He looked up.  Hm, and trees as well.  Bare, 

leafless trees, many of their branches encased in ice.  The branches were so close 

and thick and tangled in most places that the treetops could not be seen, but in any 

case the tops were far, far overhead.  The forest floor was only very dimly lit.  He 

currently sat in a small patch of real sunlight, filtered through small gaps in the 

tangled roof above, but the light was weak and cold, and he saw no other such 

patches of more than a few centimeters across.

            Trees.  And snow.  Lots of snow.

The question "Where the hell am I?" presented itself to his still sleep-fogged 

mind.   He didn't remember coming here.  The last thing he remembered, he was….

            …

            ...Somewhere.  Not here.  …Someplace… he couldn't remember.

            He couldn't _remember._

            The memory was there, he was sure of it, but it flickered on the edges of his 

consciousness like shadows seen on the edges of his vision, and when he looked 

for it there was nothing but cloudy emptiness.

            He became aware that his teeth were chattering.  That was wrong, too.  He 

shouldn't  be so cold, though he didn't know why.  If he sat still much longer he'd 

freeze.  He shifted position with some difficulty; his limbs were at once numb and 

stinging from the cold.  Slowly, he managed to stand up, leaning with one hand 

against the tree under which he'd been sitting.  He held his hands up to his face to 

breathe hot air on them, then shoved them into his cloak.  _Have to move.  Stay _

_warmer__…._

            There were no visible signs of life anywhere, but off to his left and right ran a 

shallow depression in the ground, about a meter across.  It wound off through the 

trees as far as he could see in either direction.  He shrugged slightly.  It would give 

him a path to follow for some way; there seemed little better to do.  If someone… 

_who__?..._ was by some chance searching for him, at least there would be footprints in

the snow….

_            No.  There won't be anyone.  _He was suddenly sure of that, too.  _Nobody._

            ..._Ever...?_

_            Wait_.  _Footprints_?  He looked around, and blinked.  There were none.  

_Covered_ _over_…_?_  The snow was crusted over with a thin layer of ice, and did not 

look too freshly fallen.  _How did I get here…._

            He stared at the snow, lost in thought, then shook his head sharply, suddenly 

aware that his eyes were trying to droop shut.  _No.  Later.  Have to move _now_….  _He 

turned and with some effort began to trudge down the might-have-been-pathway to 

his left.

            The path wound its way on interminably, under trees that all looked alike.  More 

than once he found his eyes drifting closed as he stumbled along, and had to shake 

himself awake.  Every now and again he paused to glance back in the direction from 

which he'd come; however he had arrived at the spot where he had woken, he was 

definitely leaving footprints now.  The icy crust on the snow was just thick enough to 

hold up until he'd put nearly all of his weight into each step, at which point it was 

inevitably just thin enough to break and send his foot crashing some way into the 

softer snow beneath, further freezing his feet as well as causing him to lose his 

balance.  Fortunately he didn't usually sink too far, but the edges of the broken ice 

were jagged and sharp and tended to stab into his ankles.  All in all, enjoyable it was 

not.

            After an interminable length of time, the trees suddenly gave way into a circular 

clearing.  He looked up in surprise, having long since given up on looking any distance 

ahead to instead focus on simply putting one foot in front of the other.  

            The light in the clearing was still wan and pale, but it was brighter than the dim-lit 

forest, and its reflection off the snow seemed blinding by comparison.  He staggered 

forward, blinking his tired eyes in an attempt to adjust to the light.  Once his vision had 

cleared, he found the sun somewhat refreshing, meager though it was, and his mind 

began to clear ever so slightly as well.  Even the small amount of warmth was welcome.

            The path he had followed this far had faded away along with the trees, and he 

frowned.  _Now where?_  He began to pace about the edge of the clearing, peering 

through the trees for any sign of a further trail.  Occasionally he stopped to jump up and 

down or stomp his feet in an effort to keep them from going entirely numb. Eventually he 

found himself back where he had begun, and his shoulders sagged; there was no more

trail that he could see, and the woods around looked very thick.  The brief surge of 

energy that the discovery of the clearing and sunlight had given him began to fade, 

leaving him wearier than before.

_            …I'll just rest for a minute…._  He dropped to the ground and closed his eyes.

            And then a soft, tentative, female voice spoke.

            "A… a – are you lost?"

            He didn't open his eyes at first, too tired to really wonder where the voice was 

coming from.  _No.  I'm freezing to death in the middle of nowhere because I _want_ to,_

_damnit__.  _He attempted to say something to this effect, but his face was stiff and rather 

numb, making speech difficult, so he settled for a quiet, almost resigned "Hn."

            The voice became surprised, and worried.  "Oh!  You _are _awake.  I… a… 

are you all right?  You're shivering.  Oh… you're too cold, aren't you?"

_            No.  Really.  It hadn't occurred to me.  _Who the hell was this idiot?  

…Though some part of his brain thought it knew the voice from somewhere.

            "Th – there's a place, not too far away.  I can help you get there.  It's – it'll be 

warmer…."

            He felt a hand on his arm, and finally opened his eyes, but shook the hand 

off and struggled to his feet on his own.  Then he looked at his… would-be rescuer, 

he supposed.  

            A young girl, about his height, dressed in a pale blue kimono, with long 

blue hair.  Bright, sparkling red eyes.  He blinked.  She was _barefoot_, and gave

no indication that the cold bothered her at all.

            She gave him a bright smile, and looked at him curiously.   "…Who are you?"

            He opened his mouth to answer, and then stopped suddenly in confusion, 

staring at her blankly.

_            …Oh._

_            That's a good question…._

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A/N:  Well, he's awake.  …A little out of it, granted, but hey, it's a start.  Reviews are 

welcome.  ^_^ 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:  Nope.  I still don't own the show or any of its characters.

To Shadow Fox777: Yeah… he's been having a rough time of it.  And shall undoubtedly continue to….

To Saelbu: Glad you liked the last chapter. ^^

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_Chapter 2:_

He stared at the girl for a few seconds, stunned, before she smiled a little sadly and shook her head.  "You don't know," she said softly.  It was a statement, not a question.

He stared at his feet instead, unable to meet her suddenly searching gaze.  Why was nothing coming to him?  It was all there, somewhere.  Why couldn't he find it?

The hand touched his arm again. "It's all right.  Forget I asked."

He gave a short laugh at this – _should be easy enough –_ and she tugged at his sleeve gently.

"Come on.  Someplace warm.  I don't want you to freeze here."  He looked up sharply at this and nodded.

_Ah.  Good point…._

The next leg of the journey was rather blurred in his tired mind.  She led him a short way back down the trail he'd come by, but turned away from it and off to the right by a clump of trees that to him looked just like every other clump of trees around.  The girl appeared to recognize it, though, nodding slightly, as if in satisfaction, when they passed it.

From there, there was no trail, just a jumble of trees, and snow, and more trees, and the occasional rock jutting above the snow, and more trees, and more… and so on.  He wondered vaguely if she was actually leading him someplace warm, or if she simply planned to walk until he could go no further, and then leave him stranded to die.  He didn't know why she would, but he didn't know why she would help him, either.

…As for this 'someplace warm,' if it did exist, she'd never said it was safe.  Only warm.  At this point, the warmth would be welcome either way, but safe haven in the midst of this desolate place seemed unlikely.  At present, though, he had little choice but to follow her.

He wondered if he was always so suspicious, and strongly suspected the answer was yes.  Suspicion seemed to be coming automatically, and it felt very right and sensible.  Almost _comfortable,_ in a strange sort of way.  Or perhaps it was just that it was something familiar….

Of course, it would be perfectly sensible in many circumstances.  Far better safe than dead.

_If you have a choice._

His thoughts wandered on, becoming rather less clear and coherent as they went.  Once in a while they happened across glimmers of almost-memories, but these fled when he tried to catch them.  _Dancing away laughing, while I snatch blindly at the air…._ He shook his head sharply, as if attempting to dislodge this thought.  _Hn.  Idiotic image.  I _do_ need rest._  He wondered how long they had walked.

And then the girl stopped.  Not looking where he was going, he stumbled and almost bumped into her.  She smiled.  "We're here."

He looked up in surprise.  They had come to a small, windowless grey stone building.  And… he suddenly realized there was a new smell on the crisp freezing air.  Woodsmoke.

The girl opened the door and ushered him in.  He almost-fell forward into the hut's dim interior, and was met with a welcome glow of light.  A fire burned brightly in a small fireplace on the opposite wall, casting dancing shadows around the room.  He stumbled towards it, not awake enough even to take notice of the room's other contents, collapsed to the floor as near to the blazing warmth as he could without actually setting his cloak or hair on fire, and was asleep almost immediately.

* * * * *

The girl settled herself on a low stone bench next to the door to watch the black-clad figure sleep, and to stare into the fire.  She smiled.  She didn't know why this place was here, or why there was always a fire burning – she _thought_ there was always a fire burning, at least – but she was very glad of it.  _She_ didn't need the warmth at all – indeed, too much of it was anything but pleasant – but this boy was obviously quite the opposite, and she was happy she could help him.  

She wondered who he was, and if she would ever find out.  He was the first person she'd met here.  …The first person she could _remember _meeting here.  She didn't think she'd have forgotten if she'd met someone else, but she wasn't sure.  Things often seemed to fade from her mind more quickly than they should.  She couldn't remember first finding herself here, didn't have any idea how long it had been since then.  A few days?  Years?  Time was blurred.

She _did_ know that this wasn't right, any of it.  She was supposed to be someplace else, even if she didn't remember where.  She'd held on to that much, thus far.

And now there was somebody else who didn't remember.  He'd seemed surprised, not to know who he was.  As if he hadn't realized he didn't remember till she asked.

Had he just… come here?  Or been here longer, and simply forgotten that he'd forgotten?  It was possible….

When he woke, she would have to find out if there was anything he _could_ remember.  Maybe between the two of them they could find some clue to where they were, what had happened.  She thought she had tried to figure it out before, but she couldn't clearly recall.  Presumably she'd failed.  She was still here, at least.  Wherever _here_ was.

At any rate, this mystery person would probably be asleep for quite a while.  She turned her eyes towards him, and suddenly she frowned.  Something about him struck her as vaguely odd.  Almost… familiar?  She sat bolt upright, eyes widening.  Did she _know_ this boy?

But no memories leapt into her mind at this thought.  Disappointed, she sat back, leaning against the wall, and began running through their meeting again in her mind.  That hadn't begun to blur and fade yet.  Best to think through it before it did.  Who knew how much of it the boy would recall when he woke up.  …Or how much he would speak of even if it was still there in his mind.  He hadn't spoken at all beyond a short "Hn," once, which hardly counted as speech.

Again familiarity flickered briefly in her mind, but it was gone before she could grasp it.  

She'd tried to help him stand up, but he'd quickly shrugged her off.  And had done the same every time she'd tried to help him during their walk through the woods.  He had looked about to fall over with every step he took, but had still made it entirely clear that he wasn't about to accept her aid.  

This, too, seemed familiar.

Eventually she'd given up.  By then it hadn't been far to the hut they now occupied.  She probably could have dragged him the rest of the way if she'd had to.

She pondered.  He hadn't met her eyes much, had seemed almost reluctant to do so.  His own eyes were deep red.  An unusual color, for eyes.  She'd seen it somewhere else before, though.  The look on his face when she'd come across him….  

_You… Who in the world are you?_

She _had_ met him before.  …Somewhere.

Still musing, she leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. 

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A/N: Comments?  Comments are good.  Any flames will probably have to be used to melt Hiei out of a snowbank somewhere.  …At least until he remembers he's a fire demon, for crying out loud…. -.-;;


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.  

Thanks to my reviewers!  Apologies for the slow update…. *mutters* Evil homework.  Evil writer's block.  Evil, evil, evil! ^^

To FeudalFairyFan4Ever: Glad you like it!  Yes, the girl is Yukina.  No, it will be revealed in the last chapter that the guy is actually Kuwabara; he spontaneously shrank two feet, his hair and eyes changed color, and he gained a sudden penchant for black clothing.  ^^ (Sorry… had to be said.)  Yes, he's Hiei.

To Shadow Fox777: Yes, a third eye one didn't know one had would certainly come as a shock to the system….

To crimson-illusions: ^^ Thanks! …Yes, 'tis a bit slow.  Hopefully it will manage to pick up eventually.  I'm very glad you're enjoying it anyway. 

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_Chapter 3:_

He opened his eyes rather sleepily, reveling in the warmth.  _Where… oh.  …Right.  _He dimly recalled coming here yester – whenever it had been.  How long had he slept?

He sat up stiffly, stretching his arms and shoulders, and looked around the room.  It was small and square, and was lit only by the fire in front of which he currently sat; his small outline made strange, looming shadows on the walls.  There was little furniture except for a few low stone benches around the edge of the room and a small table to one side of the fire.  A shelf over the table held some shadowy objects whose identities could not be determined from his current vantage point.

"Oh, you're awake!"

He started at the voice.  It was that girl who'd found him.  Her voice was still vaguely familiar, and he wondered if he was supposed to know her.  But – no, she hadn't recognized him, had she?  She'd asked him who he was and he hadn't been able to answer….

Perhaps she only reminded him of someone else he knew.  He turned to look at her; she was sitting on one of the benches next to the door.  She smiled at him.

He remained expressionless.  "Where are we?"

She eyed him a little uncertainly.  "D – do you remember?  This is the house I brought you to yest –"

This was cut off by an abrupt, impatient nod.  "I remember that.  Where _is_ it, what is this place?"

She hesitated, seeming unsure how to answer, and he glared at her.  It was a mild glare, relatively speaking, but it was still a noticeable glare.  She shook her head apologetically.  "I'm sorry.  I… don't really know."

He raised his eyebrows, silently awaiting further explanation.

She sighed.  "You… don't remember who you are, how you came here."

Oh.  Of course.  _You don't know_, she had said – stated, not asked.  She hadn't seemed particularly surprised.  "And you don't either," he finished.  His glare faded back to neutrality.

She nodded, appearing relieved that he understood.

His eyes searched the room briefly before he spoke again.  "Fine.  Is there anyone else here?"

Again, she shook her head.  "I don't think so.  You're the first I've seen."

"This… house.  No one lives in it?  It's just here?"

She nodded.  "It… seems to be.  I… came across it once, somehow.  I don't –" she bit her lip – "I don't quite remember.  But I've never seen anyone here, or signs of anyone using the place, except that the fire's always lit…."

He frowned, considering this momentarily.  "Always?"

A mute nod.

"Is there a woodpile anywhere?"

She sighed again.  "Not nearby, that I could find.  I've looked more than once.  And there are no signs of anyone cutting trees, either.  It's strange, isn't it?"

He was silent, watching the crackling fire for some time.  Then, abruptly, he stood.

The girl jumped to her feet hurriedly.  "Wait, you should rest –"

He waved this aside sharply, ignoring a brief wave of dizziness and stepping away from her as she tried to assist him back to his spot in front of the fire.  "Hn.  I've rested.  I'm fine."  He went to the door, still dodging her attempted support, and drew his cloak tight around him, bracing himself against the bitter cold.  "I'll be right back."

When he returned he was shivering rather less than he had expected to be, and was carrying an ice-coated stick broken off a dead tree branch.  He glanced over at the girl, who had hesitated at the door from following him further.  "Have you tried to see if the fire actually burns things?"

She shook her head.  "I… hadn't thought of it.  I don't really like getting so close to the heat."

He shrugged, went back to the fireplace, and sat down, holding the wood up to the flames so that the ice would melt.  "That's right.  You don't mind the cold, do you?"

_Nobody minds it_, a small voice suddenly whispered in the back of his mind.  _Just you._  Mentally, he shook his head, ignoring this.  Strange, foolish thought.  Where had it come from?

The girl had gone back to her bench and was watching him curiously.  "It… hadn't occurred to me that anyone did," she said honestly.  "Until I came across you."

The small, inward voice grinned.  _Told you_.  He continued to ignore it, and turned back to stare at the flames again.  

All was silent for a few seconds, then the girl spoke again, hesitantly.  "I – I meant to ask," she began.  "Is your arm all right?  I saw it was bandaged…."

He blinked, glancing down at his arm.  The bandages… _And again, nothing's there._  He hadn't even noticed them; they had seemed to blend in as part of his arm, perfectly familiar until just now.  The sensation was strangely wrenching.  

He didn't think anything was wrong with his arm.  It didn't hurt, at least.  The bandages just belonged there.  He dropped the still-thawing bit of wood next to the fire, and moved to pull the wrappings off his hand, to see what was underneath.

…And stopped, his mind suddenly blank.  _What was I doing…?  _He couldn't remember.  Puzzled, he glanced around the room as if searching for an answer.

"Is… is something wrong?" the girl asked, sounding concerned.

"I thought I just remembered someth… No."  He shook his head.  "It's gone now."

"…Oh."  She paused.  "Was it from something one of us said?"

"Maybe."  His eyes narrowed in concentration, but… he could not recall much of their conversation.  The fire, and the cold, and then… there had been something after that.  Something important.  But loathe as he was to admit it – he could not recall what that was.

Some of his frustration must have been apparent, for after a few seconds the girl said softly, "I don't remember either."

There was an understanding, sympathetic note in her voice that made him grit his teeth involuntarily.  _I don't need sympathy.  I need someone who knows what the hell's going on.  _He refrained from voicing this aloud, however.  Instead he shrugged and turned back to the fireplace.  The ice had melted from the branch; it was quite dry by now.  He picked it up and carefully set one end on fire; the dry, dead wood caught easily.  Flames flickered to life and soon burned steadily, but they did not seem in any hurry to grow or travel further along the branch.

He and the girl were both quiet, watching for what seemed nearly a half an hour; still the flames did not change or burn down.  Finally he shrugged, dropped the stick to the stone floor, and smothered the small fire with one boot.

He gave a small, satisfied "Hn."  There was no mark on the wood – it wasn't even charred.

The girl rose from her bench and came to see, braving the heat from the fireplace to peer at the branch curiously.  "If it doesn't burn down…."  She trailed off.

He stood up again, leaving her to stare at the thing, and began to wander around the room restlessly, looking to see if there was anything interesting anywhere that he had missed.  There didn't appear to be.  The shelf over the table, on closer inspection, held nothing but an assortment of empty dishes.  It suddenly occurred to him that he had not thought of food since waking up in the forest – he had no idea when his last meal had been – yet he was not at all hungry.  Under the circumstances this was fortunate, as there appeared to be nothing edible nearby, but it was rather strange.  He wondered if his body was used to going without food for long.  Thus far, it seemed to be.

He couldn't stay here forever, though.  Explanations needed to be found.  He needed to remember who he was.

…Though he wondered if he would like that knowledge, once he had it.  He couldn't remember anything specific, but some deep piece of his mind seemed to know, seemed to think he was fundamentally a misfit, an outsider.  Not necessarily a good or enjoyable thing to be, at times… what had his life been like?

He shook himself and snorted inwardly.  He might not like to remember some things, but if he stayed here forever, he might eventually drive himself crazy dwelling on something he didn't know the details of, didn't even know to be true.  An entirely idiotic thing to do.  Best not to start down that road if he could help it.

"The path I was following, before you found me," he began, turning back to the girl.  "Do you know where it goes, in the other direction?"

She shook her head.  "I think I've followed it before, but...."

He sighed slightly.  "You don't remember."

"I'm sorry….  But I don't think I ever found the end of it."  She looked up at him, her ruby eyes questioning.  "Are you thinking of going to look for it?"

He shrugged.  _If somehow this fire really doesn't burn down, or even if it just burns _very_ slowly, I should be able to take a heat source with me without much trouble. One problem solved, and others… won't be much worse than starving or going slowly insane here. _"I'm not sitting here for the rest of my life.  You have any better suggestions?"

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A/N: Comments, reviews, whatever you want to call them – they're good. ^^


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine.  If you've read the previous chapters, you've probably gathered as much, but I figured I'd mention it anyway.

A/N: Finally, finally, _finally_ I managed to get another chapter up.  Though it's shorter than I intended, but 'tis the season for midterms….  But with any luck, the next piece _should_ be up soon.

To LYNNSTORYTELLER: Thanks. ^_^

To Shadow Fox777: Glad you like it.  Yup, the journey has started, though they haven't gotten too far yet – as for where they are, well… we shall see.  …Eventually.  ^^;;

To DragonDancer1014: Here's an update, at last.  (Now I want more of "What Goes Around."  Right _now_. ^_^) Glad you think I have Hiei's personality down well – hope I manage to keep it up.

To Cam: Thanks.  I shall do my best to update in a timely fashion.  ^_^

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_Chapter Four_

_…You have any better suggestions…?_

He was beginning to wish _he'd_ had a better suggestion, though he still couldn't think of any.  They hadn't found the end of the path yet, or indeed anything other than more trees.  As a general rule he had nothing against trees – in fact he had a hazy impression that they were better company than most people, though he couldn't remember any specific people to whom this sentiment might refer – but currently, some sign that they were not doomed to wander lost in this wilderness forever would be welcome.  Even walking into a trap of some sort wouldn't be entirely bad, if it at least gave some clue to where they were.  Or broke the monotony, at the very least.

_How many traps have I walked into, to think of them so casually?  _It was a strange feeling, to have a thought that seemed automatic and natural, and then to realize that he didn't know _why_ it seemed that way.  It didn't help that cold and fatigue were making his mind move more slowly than usual.  At first he and the girl had talked some as they traveled, but the conversation had lessened the further they went, and by now had mostly settled into tired silence.  That was all right – he found that conversation did not come very naturally or comfortably to him, and at any rate it was hard to find much to say when neither you nor your companion could remember anything.  Silence was far less awkward.

He wasn't sure how long they had been walking.  He thought it was about five days, but time and memory seemed to have gained a habit of blurring disconcertingly.  It could have been more, or less.  They had stopped a few times to rest, but he didn't like to stop for too long.  The sooner they found where the path led, the better.  His body was sore and tired from the constant effort of trudging through the deep snow, but it wasn't going to kill him.  He could stand it. 

He found himself rather envying the girl's resistance to cold, though.  He carried his makeshift torches cautiously, with his hands as near to the flames as they could be without burning his fingers.  Occasionally he leaned his face close to the welcome heat as well, but he had to close his eyes to keep the woodsmoke from getting in them and stinging.  

This, it occurred to him after a while as he trudged along, made very little sense.  Not that much else that was happening made sense either, but this was downright inconsistent.  The wood, as far as he could tell, wasn't actually _burning_.  The fire… clung to it, for whatever reason, but it seemed to have no actual effect – the wood hadn't even become singed.  So where the hell was the smoke coming from?  For that matter, the fire didn't burn wood, but it did warm things, and melted ice and snow, so it wasn't completely ineffectual….  Strange.

He was beginning to get the rather confused and surreal feeling that he was in a world that someone hadn't thought out very carefully.  Bemusedly, he wondered who that someone might be.  It was a ridiculous notion, but the thought began to nag at his mind, and he couldn't bring himself to entirely ignore it.  Certainly the place wasn't entirely normal, at least.  Whatever _normal_ was.  _Is there such a thing?_

_Hn…_ _pointless question.  There must be better things to think abo_ut

Part of him wondered why he was tolerating the girl's company on his journey so calmly.  Not that it didn't make sense – they were in similar situations, apparently, and he did owe her for the help she'd given him.  He balked at the thought of being indebted to someone, particularly someone he wasn't sure he trusted.  If they traveled together and he was able to discover where they were or what had happened to them, he could consider her repaid and they would be on more even ground.

Also, the odds of two entirely unrelated people finding themselves to be lost in the middle of the same forest, with no memories, but for entirely unrelated reasons were presumably fairly low.  Granted, he couldn't back this up with any statistics at present – but even without the feeling that he knew the girl from somewhere, it was probably a safe assumption that there was _some_ previous connection between the two of them.  In the interests of regaining his memories, it was best if they stayed together for the time.

It _did _make sense, but it still bothered him.  He didn't know if he really had known her before this, or if perhaps she just reminded him of someone that he did know.  Or if his mind was only playing tricks on him.  In any case, over the last few days a nagging sense had begun to arise that he should trust this person, that she was almost a… friend.

Perhaps he couldn't currently remember much of his life or anyone he'd known, but he was fairly certain that _friend _wasn't a word he had used often, if at all.  The very concept seemed alien to him.  The mere vague thought of other people caused his mind to react with… perhaps not dislike_,_ exactly, but at the very least annoyance, a good deal of suspicion, and a strong sense that most of them weren't worth putting up with for any longer than one absolutely had to.  

_So why should she, who I don't even know if I know, be any different?_  

He had no _reason_ to trust her.  _...Other than the fact that she probably saved my life…._  He shook his head.  If she was truly in the same situation he was, then that had only been the sensible thing for her to do.  He refused to assume anything else.  Still, the strange sense that she was on his side would not leave despite this refusal, and it was beginning to worry him a little bit.  It would be far too easy to be lulled into dropping his guard…. 

He had to admit that he wasn't entirely clear on what dire consequences this could have, under the circumstances.  But the more suspicious side of his brain insisted that it was best to be cautious, particularly towards anyone who _seemed_ so harmless.  So he was.

He gritted his teeth.  He _needed_ his memories back.  The confusion of distrusting someone _because_ he felt like he should trust them was going to give him a headache soon.  He snorted softly.  _Well, with any luck, I'll be too numb from the cold to notice it…._

* * * * *

The girl glanced over at her traveling companion a little uncertainly.  He had been very quiet for the last few days, but then, he still had to be very tired, didn't he….  The cold was taking its toll on him, though he seemed to be ignoring it with admirable determination.  She couldn't help but feel sorry for him, but she guessed that sympathetic words would not be welcome, and it seemed there was little that she could actually do to help him at present.  She sighed; it didn't seem fair that she was having such a relatively easy time of things and yet could do nothing for him.  She didn't like feeling so powerless.

She had tried to offer, once, that he lean on her for support and balance as they walked – he had difficulty staying on his feet at times in the deep and uneven snow – but he had given her such an intense and forceful glare for this suggestion that she had hurriedly dropped the subject.  All she could do was be there, in case he did need help.  Though she wasn't sure even her presence was entirely welcome; she didn't think he really trusted her, though she didn't know why.  She wondered, wherever she'd known him from, if she had considered him a friend.  Somehow, she thought so, but he didn't seem to think the same.

Well… welcome and trusted or not, they were both in the same situation.  It was best that they stay together.  She didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them.

* * * * *

Thus they continued on for some time, both lost in their respective thoughts.  And then they stopped, suddenly startled back into awareness.  They had, at last, reached something new, though it was not the hoped-for edge of the forest.  It was a fork in the pathway.

_…Great.  Just what we need.  A choice, with no good way to choose except to rely on pure luck.  _The black-clad figure glared briefly at the two narrow paths branching off to the left and right.  He didn't think luck was something he liked to depend upon.

Well – a choice still had to be made.  He glanced over at the girl.  "Any suggestions?"

She stared back and forth, concentrating.  "I… if I've ever been here, I don't remember it at all."  She shook her head.  "I'm sorry."

"Hn."  He shrugged.  "Left, then."  He started forward.

She hesitated.  "We've been walking for a while.  Do – do you want to stop and rest for a few hours?"

He turned to look at her, eyebrows slightly raised.  "Are you tired?"

She sighed.  She wasn't, really, and she doubted he'd believe her if she said she was.  And even if she had been, she could hardly insist on stopping for her own sake if _he_ could keep going.  But he had started stumbling more frequently than usual, and she didn't want him to fall over dead from pushing himself too hard.  "No.  But –"

Before she had a chance to finish, he shrugged again and turned away, once again starting down the path.  "We'll go a ways farther, then."

Well, at least that sounded like he _might_ consider stopping at some point.  Again she sighed, and started after him.

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A/N: As always, feedback is welcome. ^^


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